Convertible car



4SHEETSSHEET l.

[NM/Wok W1 TN/ZSSES No. 770,464. PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

W. H. HOV ENDEN. CONVERTIBLE GAR.

. ,APPLIOATION FILED um; 29; 1904.

.NO MODEL.- '4 SHEETS-$111531 2.

Alf/army;

No. 770,464. PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904 W. H. HOVENDEN CONVERTIBLE CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 770,464. PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904. W. H. HOVENDEN. CONVERTIBLE GAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

N0 MODEL.

U ITED STATES Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT OFF CE.

CONVERTIBLE CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,464, datedSeptember 20, 1904.

Application filed June 29, 1904.

To all whom it may concern:

particularly for use on city and suburban cars,

and has for its object to provide a car adapted for use as a closed caror an open car, as desired.

It is well known that railway companies find it necessary to provideclosed cars for use during the winter months and other cars of the openor summer type for use during the summer period; Heretofore railwaycompanies, and especially streetrailway companies, have made it apractice to provide two separate and entirely distinct sets of cars foruse in summer and winter, thereby entailing an enormous unnecessaryexpenditure for equipment and maintenance. It is also well known thatduring certain portions of the year in most localities the weather isuncertain, making it desirable to use a closed car one day and an openone the next, or even to use a closed car on one trip and an open one onthe next. A great amount of space is required for storing the unusedcars, and considerable inconvenience is experienced by the railroadmanagement for this and other reasons in changing from one form of carto the other. During unsettled weather it is often found desirable tochange from an open to a closed car for the protection of the passengerswhile the car is upon the road.

One object of my invention is to provide a car which shall be easily andreadily converted from a closed to an open car, and vice versa.

A further object of my invention is to provide a car which when the caris open at the sides may be provided with seats extending ,entirelyacross the car, with space for ingress and egress at their oppositeoutside ends, and

when the caris in use as a closed car a central aisle extendingthroughout the length thereof, with seats upon either side thereoftransverse thereto.

A further object of my invention is to proviews.

In the preferred embodiment ofv my inven- I9 Serial No. 214,610. (Nomine.)

.vide a convertible. car wherein the facilities for changing from oneform to the other are always carried upon the car and disposed forinstant use.

With these and other objects in View the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be herein'-' aftermore fully described, shown in the ac companying drawings, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthatchanges in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be madewithin the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my convertible car,showing the same partly closed and partly open and also show ing therunning-board at the side in position foruse as with an open car andalso folded up for use with a closed car. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionshowing upon one side the removable wall in position for use as a closedcar and upon the other side folded upwardly.

into the top of the car in position for use as an open car and alsoshowing the seat-section 'sill, and frames folded upwardly anddetachably secured to the ceiling of the car. Fig.

6 is a perspective view of the seat-section which is designed to fillthe space between the backs of the seats shown in position. Fig. 7 is aperspective view of the seat-section designed to fill the aisle-spacebetween the bottom of two seats. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of theback of the seat, and Fig. 9 is a similar view of the section, showingin detail the means for securing the section between the two backs.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throng boutthe several tion I construct a car with the usual base 1 and roof 2,said roof being supported by regularly-spaced side posts 3, disposedupon the side of and perpendicular to the base. The ends of the car areprovided with the usual sliding doors 4. I

Opposite each of the side posts 3, with one end rigidly secured thereto,is placed a seat 5 with the usual back 6, said seat extending from theside posts transverselywithin the car to a central aisle extendinglongitudinally throughout the length thereof. The ends of the seats nextto the side posts are provided with supports 7, extending upon eitherside of the side posts parallel with the length of the car and of awidth approximating the width of the seat. Withoutthe supports 7 andrigidly secured to the posts 3 are cleats 8, disposed parallel with thesupports 7, with a space between said cleat 8 and supports 7.

Adjacent to the side posts 3 is disposed the window-frame formed in twohinged sections. The upper section 9 is hinged at the top to the plateand extends downwardly adjoining such side posts through approximatelyhalf the distance from the top of such post to the seat 5. Hinged to thelower edge of frame 9 is the lower frame-section 10, continuing in thesame plane with the section 9 from the lower edge thereof to the seat 5.These frames, composed of sections 9 and 10, are mounted in pairs uponopposite sides of the side posts 3. Between the lower ends ofoppositely-disposed frame-sections 10 is rigidly secured a sill member11, extending parallel with the length of the car and of a lengthsuflicient to fill the space between two side posts. Between beadsproperly disposed upon the face of the frames are slidably mounted anupper and a lower sash of such dimension as to fill the space betweenthe frames and to extend vertically from the plate to the window-sill11. The upper sash 12 is mounted in the upper frame-section 9, being ofa vertical dimension less than the vertical length of section 9. Thelower sash 13 is mounted principally in the lower frame-sec tion 10, butof a vertical dimension great enough to extend beyond the point ofmeeting of the sections 9 and 10 and its upper edge to contact with thelower edge of sash 12. The lower edge of sash 13 abuts with sill 11 uponthe apron 1 1, adjoining on its inner side the window-stool 15.

Slidably mounted between the seat-supports 7 and the cleat 8 is a panel16, extending vertically fromthe base of the car upward through thewindow-sill, its upper edge forming a portion of stool 15. The panel 16is of sufiicient width to fill a space between two side posts 3 and iscapable of a slidable upward movement through the sill 11 to a positionwholly between the frame-sections 10.

The frame-section 9 is hinged at 17 to the usual plate 18, extendinglongitudinally throughout the length of the car along the tops of posts3. The lower frame-section 10 is hinged at 19 to the lower edge offramesection 9.

A hook or catch 20 is provided for detachably securing the lowerframe-section to the upper frame-section when folded upon hinge 19. Ahook or catch 21 is likewise conveniently provided in the top of the carfor the purpose of detachably securing the two framesections to theceiling of the car when such connected sections are swung inwardly andupwardly.

For the purpose, of converting the seats 5 into seats extendingtransversely entirely across the car a scat-section 22 is provided withslidable lugs 23 and adapted to till the space between adjacent ends ofoppositelydisposed seats and the slidable lugs 22-3, adapted to engagestaples or similar devices upon the under surface of seats 5.

To convert the backs 6 into one back extending transversely entirelyacross the car, a back-section 2 1 is provided, which is adapted to fillthe aisle-space between adjacent ends of oppositely-disposcd backs.\Vithin the ends of back-scction 24: are placed pintles 26, adapted toengage grooves 27, formed within the ends of the backs 6. Within theedge of backs 6 are slidably mounted strips 28, within groove 29. Thestrips 28 are provided with any convenient device, as the knobs 30, forslidably moving them within the groove 2% The strips 28 when partlywithdmnui from groove 29 are adapted to engage grooves 31, within theedge of back-section 24-. \Vithout the lines of the car and below thesill 1 is mounted the usual running-board. This running-board or step isadapted to be folded upwardly, as shown at 32, when the car is used as aclosed car or to be disposed in an operative position occupying ahorizontal plane when the car is used as an open car, as shown at 38.

The operation of my improved convertible car is as follows: \Vith thevarious parts disposed to form a closed car, as shown in Fig.

1, and it being desired to convert the car to tween the lower ends offrame-section 10 and the panel 16 being engaged between such sectionsare swung with the frames and are all d ctachabl y secured by a hook ora catch adjacent to the upper section 9. The two sections 9 and 10 thussecured together are swung inwardly and upwardly on hinge 17 anddetachably secured by hook 21 to the ceiling of the .car. This leavesthe entire space between the seats and between the posts 3 open, asshown in Fig. 1. The seat-section 22 and the back-section 24 are carriedin any convenient position,

as beneath the seat 5. When the sides are reing grooves 27. The strips28 are slidably moved outwardly along groove 29 to engage groove 31 andhold the back-section firmly in position.

It is obvious that the panel 16 may be mounted in conjunction withguides differing materially from the supports 7 and the cleat 8 and indifferent operative relation with the sill 11. It is also obvious thatthe frame-sections may be differently hinged and other devices providedfor securing them either in the open or closed position. It is furtherobvious that different means of securing the seat and back section 22and 24 in position may be provided and that various and other changesmay be made in'the form and minor details without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

Having thus describedvmy invention, what I claim as novel, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is i v 1. A convertible car having a windowcomprising an upper and a lower sash, the said lower sash being adaptedto be pushed upward beside the upper sash and bothsashes adapted to beswung upon a hinge inward and upward and in such adjusted position,detachably secured to the ceiling of the car.

2. A convertible car with sides consisting of regularly-spaced verticalposts with windows filling the spaces between the posts, said windowseach consisting of an upper and a lower sash, the lower sash beingadapted to be pushed upward beside the upper sash andboth sashes adaptedto be swung upon a hinge inward and upward and in such adjusted positiondetach ably secured to the ceiling of the car.

3. A convertible car with sides consisting of regularly-spaced verticalposts, a removable wall filling-the space between the posts andconsisting of windows, each composed'of an upper and a lower sash and apanel extending from the bottom of the lower sash to the floor of thecar, and so disposed that the paneland lower sash may be pushed upwardlyuntil the lower sash assumes a position beside the upper sash and bothsashes adapted to be swung upon a hinge inwardly and upwardly anddetachably secured to the ceiling of the car. i

4. A convertible car with sides consisting of regularly-spaced verticalposts, aremovablewall filling the space between the posts and consistingof windows composed of an upper and a lower sash, a panel extending fromthe bottom ofthe lower sash to the floor, and so disposed that the paneland lower sash may be pushed upwardly until the lower sash assumes aposition beside the upper sash, -the panel being adapted to be foldedinwardly and upwardly and removably secured beside the two sashes, andthe sashes and panel adapted to be swung inwardly and upwardly anddetachably secured to the ceiling of the car.

5. A convertible car having regularlyspaced transverse seats thereinextending from regularly-spaced vertical side 'posts to a central aisleextending throughout the length of the car, a removable wall filling thespace between the posts and consisting of a window composed of an upperand a lower sash and a panel extending from the floor to the bottom ofthe lower sash, and so disposedthat the panel and lower sash may bepushed upwardly until the lower sash assumes a position beside theuppersash, the panel being adapted to be folded inwardly and upwardly anddetachably secured beside the two sashes and the panel and sashesadapted to be swung inwardly and upwardly and detachably secured to theceiling of the car. V

' 6. A convertible car havlng removable side walls regularly-spacedseats therein extending from the side walls to a central aisle extendingthroughout the length of the car, and seatsections adapted tobe'attached to adjacent ends'of opposite seats andfill the aisle-spacetherebetween, the backs of the seats being provided at their adjacentendswith grooves and a strip longitudinally slidably mounted withineach-upper edge, a back-section pro.-

regularly-spaced vertical posts with windows l-IO filling the spacesbetween the posts andeach consisting ofanupperand a lower'sash, thelower sash being adapted to be pushed upwardbeside the upper sash andboth sashes adapted to be swung upon a hinge inward and upward anddetachably secured to the ceiling.

of the car, regularly-spaced seats within said car extending from theside posts to a central aisle extending throughout the length of the carand seat-sections adapted to be attached to adjacent ends of oppositeseats and fill the space therebetween.

8. A convertible car with a side consisting of regularly-spaced verticalposts, a removable wall filling the space between the posts,

and consisting of a window composed of an' upper and a v lower sash anda panel extend ing from the bottom of the lower sash to the floor of thecar, and allso disposed that the &

panel and the lower sash may be pushed upwardly until the lower sashassumes a position beside the upper sash and all adapted to be swungupon a hinge inwardly and upwardly and detachably secured to the ceilingof the car, regularly-spaced seats within said car eX- tending from theside posts to a central aisle extending throughout the length of the carand seat-secti0ns adapted to be attached to adjacent ends of oppositeseats and till the aislespace therebetween.

9. A convertible car having regularlyspaced transverse seats thereinextending from regularly-spaced vertical side posts to a central aisleextending throughout the length of the car, a removable wall filling thespace between the posts and consisting of a window composed of an upperand a lower sash and a panel extending from the floor to the lower sash,and all so disposed that the panel and the lower sash may be pushedupwardly until the lower sash assumes a position beside the upper sash,the panel being adapted to be folded inwardly and upwardly anddetaclnibl y secured to the ceiling of the car, regularlyspaced seatswithin said car extending from the side posts to a central aisleextending throughout the length of the car and seat-scetions adapted tobe attached to adjacent ends of opposite seats and till the aisle-spacethere between.

WALTER H. HOVENDEN.

In presence of- J. W. ENSIGN, C. L. HANNAMAN.

